Key West itinerary

We're back in Key West for 10 days of fun and I thought it would be good to show you our itinerary as it happens. So here's what we got up to here in Key West.

Day 1 - Travel day - Wednesday 27 October 2016

10.40 plane from Heathrow. Picked up the rental in MIA and hit the road at just before 5pm. Heavy traffic through Miami but ok once we got onto Highway 1 at about 6pm. Good traffic through the 128 mile drive through the Keys, sunset at 6.30 and arrive at guest house at 8.45 - so good run of almost 4 hours. Took 10 mis to a find a non resident parking space.

In Virgilio's, with Chocolate Raspberry Bomb in hand, at 8.35.

Dinner at Virgilio's, our server was Catherine, a fellow brit. Most of the old guys still at Viriglios which is great, except Erin has moved on.


Day 2 - Thursday

Overcast and light rain on getting up. Drove car to Publix to get booze for tomorrow then dropped it off at rental office and walked back into Old Town. Lunch inside at Hard Rock which was a great decision as within 10 mins of sitting down, torrential tropical rain for 15 minutes.

Then walked to Fairvilla (local large fancy dress store) to get final pieces for Masquerade March costume tomorrow. While in store, starts to rain really, really hard again.

Wait for it to stop and then walk to 801 bar for some drinks. When it's raining in Key West - drink, as I advise in this post. Really miserable day today (if warm) but I think we made the most of it!

Meal tonight is in best veggie in town: The Cafe on Southard Street.

More as it happens.

Check back soon.




source Key West vacation and visit guide http://ift.tt/2eLAbmE

Read More

Masquerade March at Fantasy Fest

The Masquerade March is by far the best event at Fantasy Fest, Key West's annual mad and crazy party. The best thing about Masquerade March is that it features you.... visitor or local alike you are the march, you are the event - all 5000 (or more) of us. Don't be a boring spectator - get dressed up and be part of the fun.

p.s. it's not really a March - it could equally be called the People's parade, or the Masquerade walk, stumble or dance.

The 2016 Masquerade March in Key West is on Friday 28 October.

The route is through Old Town from one guest house to the next (i.e. from one free drink to the next), and ends up on Duval Street.

This year I will be live blogging on this blog post the build up and then will have loads of pictures the next day. I can't blog during the March because I will be marching myself.

But here's the thing: it's a masquerade: a false show, or pretence, being someone you are not. Or, in simpler words, fancy dress!

Get your fancy dress thinking caps on. Almost everyone dresses up, in a thousand different outfits.

It's excellent!

For more information on Fantasy Fest, and on the Masquerade March - click here - it's another post I did.

This blog will be regularly updated nearer Masquerade March time, so come back then for lots more.

See you in just under 2 weeks!

David Key West
15 October 2016






source Key West vacation and visit guide http://ift.tt/2dRUhtz

Read More

2015 changes Key West

It was all change in Key West in 2015. The biggest story of 2015 (officially, according to a Florida wide poll) was Florida gay weddings - the very first of which were conducted right here in Key West. Just after midnight on January 7 2015 (as soon as it had become legal in Florida) on the steps of the county courthouse in Key West. Watched by a good sized crowd who wanted to be part of history being made.

Keeping with gay, later in the year on 29 May 2015 a "gay" (i.e. rainbow) crosswalk was installed (painted on the road) in the gay block (Petronia Street) of Duval Street. I think this is a most excellent idea and as I believe they are permanent, I look forward to seeing them when I visit later in the year. They gained lots of international media coverage.

Now to the major themes running throughout the whole of 2015 in Key West. According to my radar, in order of strength of signal, I would say they were:

1. Key West is going to the dogs. Typified by talk like: "Woe is me, Key West is getting busier, very noticeably this year, especially with all the tour buses arriving for the day. Key West isn't what it was, the homeless have taken over..." etc etc
2.  Tree commission is out of control and literally killing Key West's natural heritage
3. More new building development hits Key West. In particular inappropriate construction approved in Old Town.




Key West is going to the dogs

Here's an example, from the Citizen's Voice section of the local newspaper, to illustrate ALL THREE points above:

“I hoped I would never say this, but the island I loved is gone. While HARC approves a gaudy shopping center on Eaton Street as a ‘family compound’ for an out-of-town bazillionaire, City leaders look at tiny modules to warehouse workers. All over town beautiful exotic flowering trees are removed and replaced with cheap Sabal palms to fulfill an obsession with native trees. A quick trip to the store now takes 30 minutes to drive a couple miles with traffic to rival the mainland and a massive dump called Walmart is coming to town. Goodbye, Key West. I’m glad I got to know you before your soul died.” 
Citizen's Voice August 4, 2015 


and another...

“What is happening to Key West? Duval Street is turning into an outlet mall street. The restaurants are a bunch of chains. I started coming to Key West 35 years ago and I think there are better islands to have fun and spend my hard earned buck!”

Citizen's Voice Jan 23 2016

A third typical example: 

Where did all the tour buses come from, how many are here each day and are they reimbursing the city in an appropriate manner for the resources their passengers need? And it is abundantly clear that the elaborate warnings that cruise ships would start to bypass our port
if we did not widen the channel have not been borne out. Those passengers throng our streets nearly every day.
What can be done to alter this trajectory into an historic town of expensive hotels and restaurants where eventually high-end tourists will not want to come because of the congestion and tawdry offerings of our downtown area? In short, how do we head off becoming “over”?

jan 7: Citizen comment

Tree commission out of control

The argument here is strong, in my view. There does not seem to be enough oversight on the tree commission. It's a critical decision because it takes generations for these trees to grow yet only minutes to approve a decision to chop them down.

This matter is  close to my heart having written a lot in this blog about how wonderful Key West's trees and flowers are.



If you don't know, the case is this: the Royal Poinciana is a large, beautiful tree with amazing red flowers. But when the flowers fade and drop they cause a heck of a mess and smell. A small price to pay, I would have said, to have such an amazing tree on your property. They are protected but property owners can apply to the Tree Commission to have them cut down. This is not a small isolated, incident: shockingly, in the year to June 2015, 32 have been destroyed.

It's not just Royal Poinciana's:

“We saw in the paper that yet another 20 hardwood trees are up for removal at the July Tree Commission meeting. Twenty new requests! This month’s highlights include the huge mahogany tree on Julia Street just off the corner of Duval. The city seems to have just figured out it is in the right of way, right where it’s been for 80 years. Also the huge mahogany at La Te Da. I guess the new owners need more sun by the pool. Oh, some clever tree service will find a termite or a weak branch to give the commission an excuse to approve them all. Does anyone care what’s happening in this town to our beautiful trees?” 

And another, from the Citizen's Voice, early jan 2016

“I want to thank the tree commission for once again approving a new landscaping project dominated by the cheapest, most common trees around. Yes, head over to the Winn Dixie center and enjoy the Sabal Palms for as far as the eye can see. The parking lot looks like a strip mall in North Florida. I really don’t understand why in a town that relies on fooling tourists into thinking this is some tropical paradise, we continue to systematically remove exotic trees and replace them with anywhere Southeast USA Sabal Palms. Enough with the cheap natives already!” 

Other news

In terms of a large scale development project that will leave a massive impression, on 17 December 2015, the Truman Waterfront development kicked off with the groundbreaking ceremony.

This is a project 15 years in the planning which will cost $19m and transform the Truman Waterfront. In 2015, Jimmy Buffett suggested performing space should be added to the plans. There were concerns that the homeless would (ab)use the restroom facilities, and debates as to whether it needed a water feature.

To be honest, I would have preferred them to leave it exactly as it was as I walk down there and it's lovely and quiet. Not for long.

Personally

On a personal note, I liked the TGI Fridays in Key West and so its a shame it's closed.

Joe Walsh, who owns 6 other restaurants in Old Town including Mangoes, closed TGI Friday's - the Key West outpost of this franchised chain. Now closed, it was in the Overseas Market on North Roosevelt Boulevard. It was apparently over a disagreement on how to spend the advertising budget.

BurgerFi and Johnny Rockets - both burger restaurants - closed on Duval Street.



Let's see what changes to our beautiful island are in store during 2016.

Links:

If you like change, here's some more!

2014 Key West changes

2013 Key West changes

2012 Key West changes

source Key West vacation and visitor guide http://ift.tt/1OnkQyQ

Read More

Fantasy Fest 2016 live blog

Fantasy Fest 2016 in Key West is taking place between 21 October and 30 October 2016. It's a series of fun parties which culminate in the two best events: the Masquerade March on Friday 28 October and the main parade on Saturday 29 October. It's fantastic to visit if you like busy parties, hedonism and don't mind Key West being as busy as it ever gets.

This year's theme is Political Voodoo and Ballot Box Barbarians - a theme which is too long, too boring and too ridiculous for words (no really, I can't believe someone actually though this was a good idea).

However, let's move on! Here's a good thing: we are going to Fantasy Fest 2016! Yeah! So I will be live blogging Fantasy Fest 2016 just like I did the Fantasy Fest 2014 live blog.

And even better, rather than agonize for months, we have already decided our outfit for the Masquerade March (which some bright spark seems to want to now call the People's Parade - yawn!). I'm not going to tell you what we decided - you'll have to  wait until 28 October.

For Fantasy Fest newbies who want more info on the basics of visiting for Fantasy Fest this post from me is for you.

To see loads of pictures of what it's like - see my live blog of the 2014 Fantasy Fest here.

In fact, I will do the live blog of 2016 here in this very post. So  check back regularly - especially nearer the event - when I will be updating this post VERY REGULARLY!!

See you soon!

David Key West
January 2016

source Key West vacation and visitor guide http://ift.tt/1STQlqN

Read More

Key West vacation

If you are thinking about a Key West vacation, you've come to the right place. This blog is all about helping you decide if the tropical vacation spot Key West is right - or wrong - for you.

You might be thinking - what's NOT to like about Key West? 

At the risk of starting on a negative note, here's some things that might put you off a Key West vacation.

Downsides of a Key West vacation

• Key West is expensive - the hotels and B&Bs, especially in peak season (i.e. the season you'll want to come here) charge a small fortune. There are only a few good cheap accommodation options

• Key West is small, really small

• Key West in off peak (August to November) is uncomfortably humid 
• There are only 2 beaches on the island and only 1 is good
• Key West is not that geared up for kids

If you prefer to see the glass half full, here are the best things about Key West. 


Upsides of a Key West vacation 

• Key West is easy to get around - you can walk everywhere which is relaxing
• The weather is usually great, especially December to April
• It's quite a friendly town
• Really set up for party/fun vacations - dozens of good bars and restaurants
• The flowers, trees and historic houses make Key West beautiful
• It's quaint, tropical, interesting
• Key West is crazy and eccentric

WHAT IS A KEY WEST VACATION LIKE?

• Sunny
• Hot but not too hot (heat is never a problem, it does get very humid between August and November)
• Pretty - Key West style houses, tree laden streets, flowers, plants, lush tropical 
• There are some great hotels but most of the B&Bs / guesthouses are original historic homes built in the 1800s 
• Mostly friendly people
• It's a walking, not driving, town
• Can be busy in peak time, but walk a few streets away from Duval Street and it's quiet and peaceful
• Small - the "interesting bit" of Key West (Old Town) is only 1 mile x 2 miles big
• Great selection of bars covering all tastes
• Great selection of restaurants covering all tastes
• 80% of bars and restaurants within walking distance of most hotels and B&Bs - meaning you don't have to drive and so you can relax (and drink a lot!)
• Some world famous stuff like Sloppy Joe's, the Hemingway House, Blue Heaven restaurant
• Historic - Key West has a long and fascinating history to explore (e.g. Key West museum, lighthouse, Audubon House)

Some itineraries of what you could get up to in Key West and how long to stay

Planning a Key West vacation

When is the best time to visit Key West

Different people like different vacations, so...

WHAT'S KEY WEST LIKE FOR [..XYZ..]?

WHAT'S KEY WEST LIKE FOR SUNBATHING?
**** [4 out of 5]

Not necessarily on a beach - see below.

More likely around your hotel or guesthouse pool. 

But during peak season December to April the temperature is a consistently and reliably in the 80s. Not too hot, but lots of sun.

Lovely! 


WHAT'S KEY WEST LIKE FOR BEACHES?

**    [2 out of of 5]

Well, surprisingly, not very good.

Yes, this is Florida, and it's tropical and it's hot... but Key West is small and it's a limestone rock basically, not sandy.

There's 2 beaches, the bigger one which is more sandy is not very good. The other one (Fort Zach beach) is less sandy/more rocky, but it's the "local's secret" and is much better.

WHAT'S KEY WEST LIKE FOR KEEPING BUSY AND DOING LOTS OF STUFF?

****    [4 out of of 5]

It's a major tourist destination so there are dozens of things to do. The Conch train tour of the island, walk around the harbor and see the hungry pelicans/tarpon being fed, visit hitsoric houses including the Hemingway House, don't forget the views from the top of the cool lighthouse. 

Here's my recommendations of what to do in Key West.


WHAT'S KEY WEST LIKE FOR A LUXURY VACATION?
**    [2 out of 5]

There are no 5 star hotels but there are 3 or 4 top notch hotels - that charge 5 star prices - which offer amazing ocean views and sumptuous rooms.

To get a feel for the best - view my favorite the Pier House resort here.

There is no luxury shopping or malls in Key West.


WHAT'S KEY WEST LIKE FOR A BUDGET VACATION

Bad. 

The biggest cost is accommodation. Hotels and the better guesthouses charge very high rates indeed (because this is an island with limited rooms and lots of people want to come here).

Here's my guide to Key West on a budget.


WHAT'S KEY WEST LIKE FOR KIDS?
*    [1 out of 5]

It's a town for adults. In terms of things aimed specifically at kids, there's the small aquarium and a pirate museum (that takes an hour) but that's it. 

I would imagine most kids would get bored in Key West and the nearest theme park is 160 miles away in Miami.


WHAT'S KEY WEST LIKE FOR AN ACTIVITY HOLIDAY?
*     [1 out of 5]

People come to Key West to laze around, eat too much and drink too much.

This is a small island which is flat as a pancake so the walks are pretty but hardly long / strenuous.


WHAT'S KEY WEST LIKE FOR A GAY HOLIDAY?
****   [4 out of 5]

Great! 5 gays bars, a gay sauna, gay friendly, a gaggle of drag queens, and 150,000 gay visitors a year. It's fun.

For more on the Key West gay scene - here.



WHAT'S KEY WEST LIKE FOR A RELAXING VACATION?
***    [3 out of 5]


WHAT'S KEY WEST LIKE FOR MARTINIS?
This town has long liked a strong drink, ever since the pirates and sailors. This is a cocktail town.

If your tipple is a martini, this town has 2 fantastic martini places, including - in Virgilio's - one of the best martini bars in the world!



WHAT'S KEY WEST LIKE FOR SHOPPING?
**      [2 of 5]

There are some really fun shops - very eccentric - selling local art, hot chilies, towels, hammocks etc - see here for the top fun local shops.


WHAT'S KEY WEST LIKE FOR EATING/RESTAURANTS?
****      [4 out of 5]

I think the restaurants in Key West - as long as you choose the right ones, of course - are excellent. 

There's a brilliant steak restaurant, and - not surprisingly - the sea food is good.



I hope I've given you a better view on  Key West vacations. Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below.

If you're ready to take the next step, you might have the following questions:
View some itineraries of what you could get up to in Key West and how long to stay

Planning a Key West vacation

When is the best time to visit Key West?

source Key West vacation and visitor guide http://ift.tt/1Y43MJh

Read More

Key West facts and figures

Here's some facts and figures about Key West.

Key West geography: 129 miles from Miami and 106 miles from Cuba.   Key West is tiny: an island of 7.4 square miles in Florida, 129 miles from Miami and 106 miles from Cuba. 

Altitude: 18ft above sea level at its very highest "peak"

Population: 25,478 people call Key West home. Conchs are lucky because - however much they like to moan about island life - they have the satisfaction of knowing that they don't have to pack up and go home (back to the cold) after a 5 day vacation. 

Key West: 42 bridges from Miami to Key West. 

Visitors: 1million visitors a year

More coming soon.

source Key West vacation and visitor guide http://ift.tt/1NWeoSj

Read More

How long to stay in Key West?

How long to stay in Key West for your vacation is a key question. I think one week is the right length for a Key West vacation. Maybe you are thinking that visiting for only a long weekend is ok but Key West is a little off the beaten track (after all basically it's 127 miles down a dead end road) and as a result you'll spend too much of your vacation actually getting here so a little longer is better.

A week is not perfect of course. The perfect amount time to stay in Key West is...as long as you can! For most visits Key West will be hotter, sunnier, livelier and way more fun than what you have waiting back home - so there is good reason to stay as long as you can. Plus there are hundreds of bars and restaurants and lots to do as well as great weather so you can chill by the pool and relax.

Here's how your stay might look over different time periods:

The cruise ship visit - a fleeting few hours
Cruise ships dock at Key West 350 times every year, up to 3 ships per day, so this is a common way of visiting Key West. You're here for a maximum of 6 hours onshore so you don't have much time.

Good itinerary: Most cruise passengers seem to take a ride on the Key West trolley tour - wizzing you round the island. As time is short, this is a good plan. It takes a couple of hours, although you can hop off part way through.

After that hit Duval Street and wander to a couple of bars.

If you want something a little more "Key West" go to Blue Heaven for your drink (you can eat there too). The place is one of a kind.

One day visit - rush, rush, rush
Yes, people do drive down Highway 1 for the day into Key West and back. It's accessible like that from Miami. Warning: don't get caught in the traffic, especially at weekends.

I think it's a bit of a missed opportunity, taking a room in a bed & breakfast and making it a long weekend is much better (see below).

Once you get here you won't have much more time than the cruise ship passengers, so see above for a recommended itinerary.

Long weekend - the "I wanna have fun vacation"
It's very possible to come and have a great time for only a weekend in Key West but it is very short time so I'm guessing that party and fun is on the agenda rather than restful and relaxing.

Check out the best cocktail places and restaurants in Key West - the links are at the top of my blog.

Again, be very careful of the traffic and congestion along Highway 1 if you're only coming for a weekend. Basically, if I was travelling I'd leave Miami at 6am at the latest on Friday or Saturday morning.

One week - The relaxation vacation
This is near to perfect. You get chance to wind down and not go at a frantic pace. You won't need to leave Key West - apart from visiting Fort Jefferson, see itinery below,

A week gives you the time to sample most of the best things about Key West.

Itinerary: Basically, you can do a few of the things in my list of top things to do - I would do the top 4 at least: the Conch train tour, walk Duval Street, Key West harbor and feeding of the tarpons, and go to the Custom house for a little Key West history.

I've got individual posts on all these things to do so go to the main article and click from there.

Also definitely do a seaplane trip to the Dry Tortugas islands, 70 miles from Key West, this will be a highlight - guaranteed!

Evening wise, here are my top restaurants and cocktail bars.

Two weeks - "The European holiday"
It's well known by Americans that all Europeans get more than 8 weeks of vacation every year (!!) and so all tourists from Europe can spend 3 weeks in Key West. (I am being ironic).

I have indeed managed to spend 2 weeks in Key West on one of my visits and there is:

• enough to do, although I, personally, would need to take a couple of days trips out of Key West if I was staying this long
• enables you to relax - check out the only good beach (the local's beach) on Key West
• ALMOST enough to get into the Key West local vibe
• Definitely go to Dry Tortugas by sea plane

Do lots of the the best things to do in Key West, including maybe the ones that are more genuine Key West - like tarpon feeding, Audubon House, the Key West museum.

7 years - the "I want to be a Conch" visit
Yes, people have visited for a week and stayed for years (qualifying to be a "fresh water Conch" as they call locals here, after staying here seven years!). Change your life and move to Key West, you won't be the first by a long way. There's even a popular book that's been written on the very subject - Google it.


Of course, you will also be asking:

• I know how long I can visit for, but WHEN should I visit? - which months are the best? - All months are NOT the same in Key West, there are big seasonal differences. Click here for my post on that.
• Other issues in planning a Key West vacation. Like how to get here, what's the weather like, what to wear, how formal is Key West? Stuff like that
• The cost of staying - Key West is expensive, and this will be BY FAR your BIGGEST COST. Click here for budget considerations and best budget /cheap accommodation. If cost is no object (lucky you!) click here for the best Key West hotels.

source Key West vacation and visitor guide http://ift.tt/1NBuphx

Read More

Great Secret To Find a Good Inexpensive Hotel

At the point when taking some time off some place you have never been it can be elusive a decent quality Hotel chipping away at a financial plan.

So here is a manual for help you locate a decent place shabby, so you don't need to stress over where you will remain.

In my life I have done a lot of voyaging, and I have numerous bad dream stories about the things that have transpired in a percentage of the shoddy lodgings I have stayed in.

I recollect once I was alright a ski trek and a large portion of the floor in my room really dropped around 6 inches.

I woke up and my head was lower then whatever is left of me and was mistaken for a few seconds prior to I figured out how to wake up.

Fortunate for me the room was on the first floor.

On another outing, the police attacked the lodging searching for illicit workers, and there was clamor throughout the night.

It was presumably calm the following night, yet I didn't stick around to see.

Discovering a decent reasonable inn ought not be a bet.

The most ideal approach to locate a decent lodging is to go to a spot you have been some time recently, however accepting that is impossible the following best thing is from somebody who has been there.

On the off chance that you know somebody who has been to the same excursion spot as you are anticipating going, get some information about the spot they stayed, the most noticeably bad that can happen is they let you know they detested it or that it was excessively lavish.

In any case, imagine a scenario where nobody you know has ever been to where you will be.

Unless you like to bet, you can't simply reserve a spot anyplace, in the event that you are hoping to bet on something play blackjack or poker in a gambling club, yet don't move the shakers with the spot you are going to use as your home base for your excursion.

Utilize the web to search for inn surveys.

Many sites have audits from individuals who have stayed in the inn.

Presently one keeps an eye on hellfire may be another keeps an eye on paradise, yet at any rate along these lines you can see that 5 individuals stayed there and said it was fine and two said it was bad perhaps these 2 individuals were the exemption.

On the other hand possibly the two that did not care for the lodging were around the local area for business in a range well known with visitors.

This can be an irritating circumstance when everybody around you is celebrating and you are attempting to rest, this is one of the motivation behind why no business is directed in Daytona Beech amid Spring Break.

Chatting with a travel specialists is dependably an extraordinary approach to guarantee your joy with your lodgings, and helps keep the betting in the gambling clubs and out of your room.

Something to be thankful for to do is to make a point to solicit parts from inquiry on the telephone with any inns you are considering staying in.

Read More